


Just Say Yes

by olgushka



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Arguing, Breaking Up & Making Up, Crying, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 03:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16297064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olgushka/pseuds/olgushka
Summary: Tyler believes that Josh is cheating on him.





	Just Say Yes

Tyler’s hands are shaking but he turns the key as slowly and as quietly as he can. When the lock finally gives in, he lets out a long exhale and smiles. He's never considered himself good at surprising people but seeing your boyfriend three days earlier than expected and bringing him his favorite chocolate counts as a surprise, right? 

He pushes the door to Josh's apartment open and slips inside, quietly putting his backpack on the floor in the hallway. It's nine in the morning and Tyler is sure that Josh is still sleeping, getting as much rest before the tour as possible. He already has a plan – he will wake Josh up with a kiss, serve him breakfast in bed and he will make him the best cup of coffee, exactly like Josh likes it. Even if Tyler is not fond of coffee himself, he knows the exact recipe. Then, they will cuddle all day and maybe they will watch a movie. And maybe they will order a takeaway for dinner because they will be too lazy to cook...

But as Tyler is about to close the door, he hears voices coming from the living room. For a moment he thinks that the TV is on but then he realizes that it's actually Josh speaking.

When he finally starts to understand what the drummer is saying, he frowns in confusion.

„-in love with you since I first laid my eyes on you and I was so happy when I found out that the feeling is mutual and I know it's been very hard to keep our relationship a secret for such a long time but I love you so much and-”

„Josh, _honey_ , breathe. It's okay.”

Tyler's heart stops. He's sure that the female voice he just heard belongs to Debby. When more words of encouragement come out of her mouth, the singer knows he’s not mistaken. The next thing Josh says almost makes his knees give out underneath him.

„-believe me when I say that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it-”

Tyler can't breathe. He's never the one to cry but his eyes immediately start to water and he needs to cover his mouth with his hand to muffle the sob that desperately tries to leave his throat. He grabs his backpack, turns on his heel and sneaks out, as quietly as he came in. He doesn't even bother waiting for the elevator. He runs down the stairs and out of the building. 

When he finally slows down, he pulls his baseball cap lower on his eyes. He doesn't want anyone to recognize him. Not now. If anyone speaks a single word to him now, he will burst into tears without stopping himself. 

He tries to understand what he’s just witnessed: Josh was there. Debby was there. Josh was confessing his love to her. 

A huge sob leaves his throat and it feels like someone just stabbed him in the chest and keeps twisting the dagger. Has Josh been seeing her all this time? Have they been involved romantically behind Tyler's back? Debby has always been too close to Josh for Tyler's liking and it turns out that he was right about being suspicious. _We’re just friends_ , Josh's words ring in his head. Somehow, every word that Josh has said to him in the last couple of years now seems like a lie.

Tyler feels dizzy. He catches the first taxi he sees and climbs inside. 

„Airport, please.” He says to the driver.

\- - -

„Breathe, Josh. I said: breathe.”

„I can't do this.” The drummer rubs his hands over his face. „I can't. If I end up having a panic attack every time I rehearse my speech, how am I gonna be able to propose in real life?”

„You’re trying to say a lot and it's stressing you out. You're rushing, barely breathing and I can't understand half of the things you're saying.” Debby sighs, sitting next to him on the couch. She immediately starts rubbing comforting circles on his back.

„You know I speak too fast and too much when I'm nervous.”

„Yes, I know. Maybe that's why you should make your speech short and say only the most important things.”

„So all those things are not important?” Josh looks up at her with hurt in his eyes. He stands up and starts pacing around the room.

„Babe, no. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you don't need to go back all the way to 2011 or whenever you guys first met and tell Tyler the story about your whole life. He's been there with you, he's seen it all. It's a proposal, not a history lecture at the university.”

„But I want him to know how important he is to me!”

„He knows it.” Debby joins him in the middle of the room, throws her arms around him and gives him a big, warm hug. „He knows it.”

„What if he says no? What if I don't say enough and he will think it's all a joke and laugh it off? I don't want it to happen.” Josh mumbles against her shoulder.

„Oh, Josh.” The girl kisses the side of his head. „It won't happen. I've seen how Tyler treats you, the way he looks at you. He's so madly in love with you!” She smiles. „And if you really want him to know all of that, maybe you should just write him a letter with everything you want to say and after he reads it, you will just… you know, pop the question?”

„A letter?”

„Yeah.”

„Oh. I haven’t thought about it.”

\- - -

For the next three days, Tyler's anger and disappointment build up to the maximum. He doesn't pick up any calls from Josh, he also ignores his messages. He replies only once, sending Josh a short, emotionless _I’m fine_ because he’s sure the drummer will eventually be ready to call the police if Tyler doesn’t let him know that he’s alive.

When he finally sees his boyfriend in Nashville, two days before their first show of the Bandito Tour, he wants to punch him in the face. Especially when Josh walks into their dressing room wearing his brightest smile, kisses Tyler like he always does and immediately wraps his arms around him. 

„I was so worried...” He mumbles into Tyler’s ear. „Are you okay? I missed you.”

The singer wants to call Josh out on his bullshit but when he drowns in the safety of his boyfriend strong arms, all his walls start breaking down. Instead of starting a fight and demanding the truth, he starts to cry. 

Josh's embrace immediately tightens around him, there are kisses planted all over his face and head, and the concerned voice asks what's wrong. _Everything_ , Tyler wants to say. He wants to scream and call Josh a liar but all he can do is gasp for air and cling to the drummer. 

„Are you nervous?” Josh asks, rocking him in his arms and rubbing Tyler's back. „It's okay. I am too. But we will be amazing like we always are. We still have two more days. Everything looks great. Everything sounds great! I love you, I'll be there the whole time, always watching your back.”

 _No_ , Tyler thinks, _we're not amazing, you're not amazing, you're just a liar who doesn't even have the guts to confess the truth and you don't love me_.

And Tyler wants so desperately to say something, his tongue burns and the words are gathering somewhere in the back of his throat ready to come out, ready to hurt Josh but in the end, he realizes he can't do it. Because if he breaks up with Josh now, the band will be over and even if the tour happens, it will be hell. And he's too selfish to cancel the shows. He worked too hard on the new music to give up everything.

His train of thoughts gets interrupted when Josh tilts his chin up and kisses him softly on the lips. And Josh's kisses still feel like home and safety. Tyler wonders if this is how he kisses Debby and the waterfall of tears is back. He chokes on his sob and pushes his face in the crook of Josh's neck. 

„Baby boy, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. Let’s get you distracted a little bit. Do you want to go grab something to eat?” Josh asks but Tyler shakes his head. „You must have felt really anxious in the last couple of days, huh? That’s why you’ve been so distant? You know I'm always there for you when you need me, right? Always. Come sit down with me. Come on.”

Tyler lets Josh drag him to the couch. The drummer immediately pulls him close to his side and he tucks the younger man's head under his chin while stroking his arm in a calming gesture. 

Tyler's emotions are all over the place. He feels angry, betrayed, defeated and jealous at the same time. He wants to give up and let Josh be happy with Debby but there’s also a part of him that wants to prove that he's so much better than _her_. 

He tries to resist the urge to strangle her when he finds out that she flew to Nashville as well. In Tyler’s eyes she’s like an unstoppable hunter and Josh is nothing but her prey who doesn’t even think about taking a chance to run away.

 

That's why when Josh takes him back to their hotel room, Tyler doesn't waste any time. He attacks the drummer's mouth, kissing him aggressively. He pushes him on the bed and climbs on top of him, blindly tugging at Josh's t-shirt, never stopping with kisses. _Choose me_ , Tyler thinks, _choose me_. Josh manages to flip them over, causing Tyler to yelp in surprise. The older man pins him to the bed and sits on Tyler's stomach, looking down at him.

„You know that I don't approve using sex as a remedy for your anxiety episodes, so we're not having sex tonight.”

„Screw my anxiety. You just don't want to have sex with me.” Tyler hisses and clenches his jaw. He realizes this is the first proper sentence he said to Josh that day.

„I do. I really do want to have sex with you but I will not let it happen when you're in this state of mind.”

„I'm not crazy.”

„Baby, I've never said you were. You're just a little bit lost today. You need to rest.” Josh kisses him on the forehead. „Come on, let's get comfy.”

Josh helps him change into a comfortable t-shirt and boxers and does the same. Then, he wraps his arm around Tyler and lets him rest his head on his chest. They don't speak for a while until Tyler shifts, desperately wanting to start a conversation.

„Have you ever lied to me about something serious?” Tyler asks, even if he knows it's a dangerous subject starter. If the question surprises Josh, he doesn't let it show. He hums under his breath like he tries to remember the last time it happened.

„Yeah.” Josh says and Tyler's heartbeat quickens. He expects Josh to admit everything but then his boyfriend chuckles. „I drank your last can of RedBull once and told you it wasn't me.”

„Have you ever thought about dating someone else?”

„Jeez, you're on fire today. Where do these questions come from, huh?” He asks but when Tyler only shrugs, Josh decides to go with it. „I had this silly crush on Debby when I met her for the first time and maybe if you weren't in the picture already and if there wasn't anything going on between us, I would try to make a move on her. But I would never do that to you. I love you too much.”

Tyler goes silent after that. _Crush on Debby_ is the only thing his brain is able to process. _Crush on Debby_. Tyler ignores the kiss the drummer plants on his forehead and closes his eyes. 

_Crush on Debby._

 

The next morning, when he wakes up, Josh is not in the bed with him anymore. The bathroom door is slightly open and the sound of quiet humming reaches his ears. Tyler loves when Josh sings. He's good at it, even if he says otherwise.

Tyler rolls out of the bed and shuffles to the small kitchenette to pour himself a glass of water. Josh's singing changes into muttering and Tyler needs to take a few steps towards the door to hear what Josh is saying. 

„I love you. Will you marry me? Uh... Dang it. You're the love of my life. Will you marry me?”

The glass slips out of Tyler's grip and shatters loudly against the floor. He manages to take a step back before any sharp piece hurts him. Josh jumps out of the bathroom in a second, looking around in alarm. 

„I dropped the glass.” Tyler says in a rush, still trying to process what he just heard.

„Are you okay?” Josh asks and tries to approach the singer but his bare feet stop him in the middle of the room. „Don't move. I'll get my shoes and clean this up. I don't want you to step on anything sharp.”

Josh wants to marry Debby.

Tyler feels sick.

\- - -

Debby looks up from his phone when Josh stops right in front of her. He takes a deep breath.

„I'm proposing today.”

„Really?” Her face lights up and she grins.

„Yes.” Josh nods. „I haven't written any letters. I just... I'm feeling brave today. I'll just go with it. After the show.”

„That's amazing!” The girl laughs, pulling him in a hug.

„Do you want to see the ring? Wait.” The drummer steps back and reaches to the back pocket of his jeans. He pulls out a small box and pops it open. „What do you think?”

„Oh, my God. It's so beautiful!” Debby takes a closer look. „Tyler will love it.”

„Isn't it too girly?”

„Absolutely not. It's perfect. Very classy. So, how will you do that?”

„Well, I have this plan... We will go back to the bus.” Josh says, turning around and going to the other side of the lounge. Then, he starts walking towards Debby again. „And I'll be all casual, like: _hey Ty, I need to tell you something_ , or something along those lines. And I'll come up to him - he'll be standing, maybe - or maybe he will be sitting, I don't know, it doesn't matter. But I will come up to him and I'll take his hand - like this...” Josh grabs Debby's hand. „And I'll tell him how proud I am of him - because I know that this first show will be crucial for him - and then I will just-” He drops to one knee. „I will tell him how much I love him and that he- he keeps me going every day and that I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And I will show him the ring...” Josh opens the box again and presents it to the girl. „And I-”

He never finishes what he was planning to say because suddenly there's a sound of the door opening and a loud gasp coming from the front of the bus and when they turn their heads they see Tyler, standing there will the most shattered expression on his face. And Josh realizes how the whole situation must look like but before he can explain anything, Tyler turns on his heel and runs out of the bus.

„Oh, no.” Debby whispers but sobers up faster than Josh. She pulls him up to his feet and shoves him in the exit direction. „What are you waiting for? Go after him!”

„What do I even tell him?”

„The truth! Now go!”

Tyler moves fast but Josh catches up with him in the parking lot, somewhere between the crew's tour bus and one of the stage trucks. When Josh asks him to wait and Tyler doesn't stop, he grabs the younger man by the shoulder.

„Ty! It's not what it-”

Then, things happen in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Tyler stands face to face with him, Josh's cheek feels numb and his lip stings. He instinctively lifts his hand to his face to check the damage but luckily, there's no blood. 

„You _fucking_ bastard.” Tyler hisses and the tears that have been pooling in his eyes finally make their way down his cheeks. „You- You liar! I've been so stupid! How could I've been so stupid!?”

„Tyler-” Josh chokes out, trying to make himself believe that his boyfriend really backhanded him in the face no longer than a minute ago.

„Shut up!” Tyler yells and wipes his nose with the back of his hand. „You have no right- You've been seeing her the whole time, don't you dare lie to me. You've lied enough! I saw you with her... I heard you confess your love to her! You've been seeing her behind my back this whole time, how- how could you!?”

„Do you really think so low of me?” Josh asks, knitting his eyebrows. His face hurts. It wasn’t a light blow. „You really think I would be capable of cheating on you like that?”

„Looking back, I'm not surprised at all.” Tyler says with venom in his voice.

„Oh.” Josh takes a step back like he's been slapped the second time. „ _Oh_.”

„I could predict this. _Fuck_ , I could... I let you make me believe that you loved me... And you screwed me over. She's always been around, this whole... _affection_ towards her, the touches, the flirting! What were you trying to achieve!? Did you want to mess me up? Fuck with my feelings? Congratulations, Josh! You fucking did it. You're both sick people if you thought that playing with my feelings like this would be funny. I hate you so much. So much! I want you gone, I want you fucking gone-”

„You're such an idiot.” Josh says, shaking his head in disbelief. „Wow. You-” He laughs painfully and rubs his hands over his face. „You really think I've been screwing Debby behind your back through all these years. You really think that, don't you? Wow. That's- That's fucked up, Tyler. I've never... _God_.” He says, fighting his own tears. „And there I was, wanting to marry you, rehearsing my proposal speech and getting panic attacks in front of Debby almost every day for the last couple of weeks because all the time I believed that what I wanted to say to you was not enough. Because I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted it to be special, I wanted you to remember it. I thought you were worth it. I thought you deserved it. But now...”

There's a long pause and the realization slowly appears on Tyler's face.

„You want to marry _me_?”

„I _wanted_ to. I was actually planning to propose today after the show and Debby was so excited for us, she actually promised to help organize the wedding if you said yes. But it doesn't matter now, does it? You don't trust me and it looks like you've _never_ trusted me. A relationship should be built on trust. If you didn't- If you couldn't trust me through all those years, then what's the point of marriage?”

„Josh, I-” Tyler chokes out but Josh is done. He only shakes his head, turns around and quickly walks away. The ring weighs a ton in his pocket.

\- - -

When Tyler recovers from the shock, it's too late. Josh is nowhere to be seen. He’s _gone_ , just like Tyler told him. He runs back to the bus and almost collides with Debby.

„Whoa! Easy there!” She reaches out, putting her hands on his shoulders. She looks down at his hand and frowns at the lack of the engagement ring. „What-”

„Is Josh here?”

„No, what’s going on?”

„He wanted to propose to me.” Tyler says, blinking rapidly. „To _me_.”

„Yes, of course he wanted to propose to you. What did you think he-” She stops and Tyler watches her as her eyes widen. „What happened?”

„I-” Tyler takes a deep breath. „Debby, I- Oh, my God. What have I done?”

He tells her everything. How he overreacted and accused Josh's of cheating, how he used to hate her because he thought Debby was trying to steal Josh from him. He admits to hitting Josh and Debby gasps. He knows she’s angry. He cries and apologizes to her and finally she takes pity on him, making him sit down on the couch and hugging him tightly. 

She ensures him that Josh will come around and forgive him but Tyler only shakes his head. He doesn't believe it. He disappointed Josh, he crossed the line he should have never cross, he raised his hand at him. He accused him of so many awful things, said so many awful words. Josh should never forgive him.

 

Josh disappears for the rest of the day and Tyler is on the verge of breaking down. He's about to go to Mark and tell him that they will probably have to cancel the show last minute but then Josh appears out of nowhere and pushes his way to the dressing room, pretending like Tyler doesn't exist. Of course, Josh came back. Of course, he wouldn't dare to disappoint the fans.

Josh avoids him until the show time and Tyler climbs onto the stage with tears in his eyes and pain in his chest. He tries his best to give people what they came here for, what they paid for. But there are no loving glances from his boyfriend, no tiny smiles dedicated only to him and no encouraging comments in his ear. There's only silence and it feels like he's playing the show with a stranger.

Getting to the last song feels like a blessing. Only ten more minutes and he will lock himself somewhere far away from people to drown in his well-deserved misery.

They start to play _Trees_ and Tyler is supposed to make a speech but his mind goes blank. He doesn't know what to say. He plays the intro over and over again until he dares to glance at Josh and the drummer looks back at him with an angry and questioning expression on his face. Tyler's heart breaks all over again.

„It's good to be back...” He starts but his voice cracks somewhere in the middle of the sentence, so he clears his throat and starts again. „It's good to be back, to see all those faces. We were really scared that you guys wouldn't show up.” He gains a few chuckles after that but he's not in the mood to laugh. „First night, first show of this tour... You would probably think: _oh, he's so excited, wow, he has so much energy, he's on the top of the world_. The truth is, I'm not. I mean, don't get me wrong. I missed this, man. I missed touring, I missed playing shows for you, guys. I love seeing you here and I appreciate every single one of you but at the same time I can't stop thinking about how badly I screwed up this morning and hurt someone very important to me.” He says and drops his gaze. 

He can't look at Josh now, he can't give people clues. He doesn't want them to know that they fight but he needs Josh to know that he regrets everything he said and if Josh doesn't want to speak to him off stage, he needs to do this in a different way. And this is the perfect opportunity. There are a few sympathetic awws in the crowd and he discreetly looks to the side of the stage where Debby is standing. She gives him an encouraging nod. 

„This person… They're here, in this venue right now, and I want them to let them know how incredibly sorry I am. I said awful things that I do and will always regret.” He says and takes a shaky breath. „If I can give you one advice... One thing I learned this morning is that you should never assume anything. Be honest and believe in the power of conversation. Don't throw accusations, especially when you don't have a solid proof. They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone and they're right, you know? It's so true. So, yeah... You know who you are and I'm sorry.” He sighs. There's a long pause in his speech and he knows he needs to wrap it up and finally finish the show. „As I said before - it's good to be back. Thank you for this incredible night, for having us here. This was honestly the best place to start the tour. We will see each other again soon. For now, let's sing together. You know the words. _I know_...”

\- - -

„Where-”

Josh doesn't even need to finish the question for Debby to understand what he's asking about. 

„He went to the dressing room. I'll distract the others so you have more time to talk. Go.”

She squeezes Josh’s shoulder, pushes something into a pocket of his shorts and immediately turns in Mark's direction, who's on his way to the dressing room with his camera. Josh knows he wants some after-show backstage footage but this is not a good moment. 

Since the minute Tyler started talking about him in his speech, Josh fought the urge to stand up and gather the younger man in his arms. He was watching him closely even if Tyler didn't look at him once. He could see his trembling hands, he heard the cracks in Tyler's voice, he could feel the real regret coming from his words, he could see how badly Tyler was fighting with his anxiety.

He knows that the younger man barely made it through the song without breaking down completely. When they took their bow and wrapped their arms around each other, Tyler was all tense. He quickly thanked the fans, said goodbye and then, he ran away.

 

When Josh opens the door, the dressing room is pitch black. Tyler didn't even bother to put the lights on. Josh flicks the switch on and looks around the room to find his boyfriend. And there he is, lying face down on the ugly brown couch, shaking like a leaf. When he feels the other man's presence and hears the sound of the door locking, he curls up in himself even more, facing the backrest.

Josh comes closer and crouches next to the couch. He touches Tyler's back and the younger man whimpers. The sound is pathetic and Josh's throat tightens. 

„Hey.” He whispers. „Can you sit up?”

Tyler doesn't react, he also doesn't make any attempts to turn around. Josh starts slowly rubbing his back through the material of his sweat-soaked shirt. 

„I'm mad, you know?” Josh says and feels Tyler’s back tense even more under his touch. „I'm mad. Because what you said this morning hurt me even more than a hundred slaps in the face.”

The reminder of what he’s done makes Tyler cry. He starts shivering like he’s cold and Josh keeps rubbing his back. He finally helps the younger man to roll onto his back and he picks him up. He sits down on the couch and makes Tyler sit next to him with his legs thrown over Josh’s thighs. 

Tyler tucks his face under Josh’s chin and the drummer kisses his forehead. 

„M’sorry.” Tyler mumbles, pressing his face even harder against Josh’s neck. At this point, Josh is not sure if the wetness on his skin is sweat or the singer’s tears. „I’m so sorry.”

„I know you're sorry.” The drummer says, running his fingers through Tyler’s hair.

„I- I don’t know why I- I don’t- I thought- Josh-” Tyler fails at explaining and the new wave of ugly crying shakes his frame. Josh rocks him gently until he calms down again. „What I did this-this morning… What I said… I was so scared that you would leave me for- for _her_. I misread everything and I was so scared and I made myself b-believe- Oh, God. Oh, God.” He whines, blindly running his hand over Josh’s bare chest like he’s searching for something to hold on to. Josh catches his hand and laces their fingers together. „I’m a piece of shit and I don’t- I don’t deserve your forgiveness, I don’t deserve your kindness, I don’t deserve you. And if you want to break up with me, that’s- that’s fine, I will understand.”

„I think, technically, _you_ broke up with _me_.” Josh says teasingly. „You said you want me gone.”

„Oh, God. No, no, no, no.” Tyler whimpers, clinging to Josh even harder that before. Somehow he manages to change his position and straddle the drummer. He throws his arms around Josh’s neck and hugs him tightly, still repeating the same thing. „No, no, no, no, no-”

„It’s okay, shh. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” Josh kisses the side of his head. 

„I love you, Josh.” Tyler says. „I love you so much and I know that nothing I could say or do will make you forgive me but-”

„Actually, there’s one thing.” Josh cuts him off and Tyler immediately pulls away, looking him in the eyes.

„Please, Josh. I will do anything.” He begs, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

Josh smiles. Tyler’s face is red and wet, and the singer has never looked more miserable. Josh uses his thumbs to wipe away his tears and kisses both of his cheeks. Then, he rests their foreheads together.

„One thing.”

„Okay.” 

„Only one thing.”

„ _Anything_.”

„Say yes.”

„W-what?” Tyler sniffles and blinks in confusion.

„Just say _yes_.” Josh repeats. „That’s all I’m asking of you. That’s all I need to hear to forgive you.”

„Josh-”

„Tyler.”

„But-” The singer shakes his head. „Yes to what?”

„Tyler, I’m partially responsible for this mess too. Maybe if I didn’t wait- maybe if I stopped overthinking for one damn minute, we would avoid this situation.” Josh sighs but reaches to his pocket, takes out the box and pops it open. „I should have been straightforward. So, let me be straightforward now. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

„Josh...” Tyler whispers, looking at the ring. Tears start gathering in his eyes again. „After everything I’ve put you through… You- You still want to be with me?”

„Preferably forever.”

„Josh.” Tyler chokes out and cups Josh’s face in his hands. He leans in and kisses him on the lips. „Josh.”

„I still haven’t forgiven you.” Josh says after they pull away and Tyler frowns. 

„Oh!” He says suddenly and quickly nods. „Oh! Yes. Yes. Oh, my God. _Yes._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> This kinda sucks but it was the only way to get rid of my writer's block.


End file.
